Taka’s Cooking Class [July 4]

Taka’s First Online Japanese Cooking Class in July

The time has come! Our favourite Japanese chef, Taka’s first online cooking class takes place on the 4th of July (Sun) at 10:30 (CET).

Taka will share tasty vegan-friendly Japanese food recipes and guide you through the process of preparing the meal at home. After the class, you will be able to enjoy your deliciously cooked meal as lunch (it will be dinner time for Taka in Japan, just a fun fact).

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cook, learn the secrets of authentic Japanese cooking with this fun live session led by Taka. The price for the participation is 20€ and you can easily sign up from the form below.

Menu of the day

Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice balls) + how to cook rice (vegan)

Onigiri (rice balls) are a staple of Japanese bentō (lunch boxes). They are available everywhere such as convenience stores across Japan, and can easily be customised with various savory toppings of your choice. They can be filled or unfilled with toppings, but the idea is that they’re seasoned and ready-to-eat with your hands.

In this cooking class in July, Taka will share an easy and delicious vegan yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls) recipe with you.

If your rice is ever too gummy or too hard, you’re not alone. Rice is really easy to mess up without a rice cooker — but once you get the technique right, you’ll be halfway to having delicious rice balls on your dining table. You can also learn how to cook a perfect pot of rice on the stove from Taka.

You can download the full ingredients lists and instructions below prior to the cooking class for preparation:

• Onigiri
• How to cook rice

Kimpira renkon (stir-fried lotus root) (vegan)

Kimpira renkon is a simple and delicious Japanese dish using renkon (lotus roots). Renkon is the part immersed in the water in which the plant preserves all its nutritional elements that are necessary to survive. It is, therefore, a great source of vitamins and minerals, with a high concentration of fibers for your daily diet.

Renkon has not only a unique shape but also a fun crunchiness, of which you can’t get enough. If you are a fan of crunchy and tasty dishes, Kimpira renkon is a perfect dish to cook at home.

You can download the full ingredients list and instructions here prior to the cooking class for preparation.

Miso soup with tofu and onion (vegan)

Your Japanese meal wouldn’t be complete without a bowl of miso soup! This warm bowl of soup is full of umami (essence of deliciousness), and it is a great compliment to every Japanese meal you cook.

When it comes to Japanese food, Dashi (Japanese soup stock) is the single most important element to set the seal on great umami flavours. There are several ingredients you can use to make from scratch. In this cooking class, Taka is going to use kombu (edible kelp) to make dashi. Kombu is a widely used ingredient in Japan to make soup stock, and it is vegan/vegetarian friendly.

You can download the full ingredients list and instructions here prior to the cooking class for preparation.

Tips to find ingredients

Finding the right ingredients for Japanese food can be tricky sometimes especially if you are not in Japan. Here are some tips from us to help you prepare for the class easier.

Choose Japanese sticky rice

Because of its high proportion of starch and moisture content, Japanese rice is characteristically sticky which makes it possible to form a rice ball without falling apart. When you look for rice, we recommend you pick Japanese rice.

If your local supermarket doesn’t carry Japanese rice, try to find a box of sushi rice in an ethnic food section. Remember, other rice variants, such as jasmine or basmati rice are not sticky enough to make rice balls stick together.

Grocery store for Japanese ingredients in Utrecht

If you live in Utrecht and want to find all ingredients in one go, Amazing Oriental is the place you might want to visit.

Their newest store is located inside Hoog Catharijne, a shopping centre right in front of Utrecht Central Station.
Here, you can find all key ingredients for the cooking class such as Japanese rice, fresh lotuses, and sesame oil.

Amazing Oriental – Hoog Catharijne

Address: Gildenkwartier 175B, 3511 DG Utrecht (opposite Media Markt)
Opening hours:
Monday 12:00 – 20:00
Tuesday 10:00 – 20:00
Wednesday 10:00 – 20:00
Thursday 10:00 – 20:00
Friday 10:00 – 20:00
Saturday 10:00 – 20:00
Sunday 12:00 – 18:00

See you on the 4th of July!

Taka’s cooking class is perfect for everyone who wants to brush up on your kitchen skills at home. Just a reminder, here’s a detail of the online cooking class in July:

Time: 10:30 (CET, Amsterdam time)
Date: 04.07.2021 (Sun)
Price: €20

Signing up for his cooking class is as easy as pie. Simply click the “Sign up” button below to fill out your information. We’ll contact you as soon as possible for further details!

See you in the class!